Effective Tuesday June 20th, 2023 Temiskaming Hospital will be moving to a Mask Friendly Environment.

“While we continue to remain cautious, we are excited to continue our journey of treating COVID-19 as more of an endemic than a pandemic.” stated Mike Baker, President & CEO.

The decision to move to “Green Phase; optional masking” was determined in consultation with Public Health Guidance and the most recent provincial recommendations for acute care settings.

Masking will be optional in all public non-patient care spaces including hallways, courtyards and waiting rooms. Masks will remain available throughout the hospital for those who choose to wear one.

What all this means:

Visitors/Care Partners:

  • If you are experiencing symptoms or feeling unwell, please stay home and visit when symptoms improve/resolve.
  • Masks are optional yet encouraged when within 2 meters of any patient;
    • Exception: when patient is under isolation precautions, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be required.
  • Visiting Hours: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
    • Please attempt to coordinate your visit times with other family members and friends to ensure your loved one has a supportive health care environment.
    • Patients should have no more than 2 visitors/Care Partners at a time
      • Please connect with staff should there be a need for accommodation.
    • Visiting children under 12 years of age must be directly supervised by an adult, who is not the patient.
    • Visits may be restricted to protect the health care needs of the patient at any time (e.g. to align with recommendations outlined by Public Health Ontario or Hospital Policy).

Inpatients:

  • Masks are optional, however encouraged.
    • Exception: if the patient is in isolation due to a respiratory illness; at which time masks will be mandatory when outside of the bed space.

Outpatients:

  • Masks are optional yet encouraged.
  • Exception: symptomatic patients that screen positive during registration/triage (ie. fever or chills, cough, difficulty breathing, runny nose, sore throat, etc..) will be required to wear a mask for the duration of their Emergency Department Visit or appointment.

Temiskaming Hospital will continue to monitor respiratory illness rates and at any time may alter masking and PPE requirements to protect staff/patients and visitors.